A&M Bonfire Relief Fund assistance earns mixed reviews

Published: Saturday, March 31, 2001

COLLEGE STATION {AP} The families of the 12 Aggies who died and 27 others who were injured in Texas A&M University's deadly November 1999 bonfire collapse so far have received $378,030 from a school fund established to help pay for their expenses.

In addition, the families of the 12 who died received $10,000 each through an insurance policy held by the university. The families of the 11 victims who were students were reimbursed for fall 1999 tuition and fee costs, the Bryan-College Station Eagle reported in its Friday editions. The 12th fatality, Christopher Breen, already had graduated.

Texas A&M released the fund-related documents this week in response to a request from the newspaper filed under the Texas Public Information Act.

The documents show officials have paid families of the deceased students $129,500 from the Bonfire Relief Fund. Each family received at least $10,000 from the fund. Injured students have received $248,530.

A&M students who were relatives of those killed have received grants and scholarships totaling $14,650.

Nearly $278,000 remains in the fund.

At least one family's request for additional money was not paid, the Eagle reported.

Andrea and Les Heard  parents of victim Christopher Lee Heard  originally asked for $50,000 in April 2000 to help pay for various expenses, including the loss of family income.

They've said publicly the school has not done enough to fulfill the needs of bonfire victims' families since the collapse Nov. 18, 1999.

Last November, J. Malon Southerland, A&Ms vice president for student affairs, wrote them that the university could reimburse families for "actual expenses" related to the collapse. He asked the Heards to provide a total dollar amount in two categories: family travel and funeral expenses.

On Wednesday, the first lawsuit seeking damages from A&M was filed by the mother of victim Jerry Don Self.

Some documents obtained by the newspaper point to A&M's plan to establish a funding source for injured students who need long-term care. The original target for "definite information" on such a fund  December 2000 or January 2001  has been pushed to May.

One victim survivor, the father of Nathan Scott West, declined Thursday to discuss how much money his family has received from A&M and the relief fund. Richard West, however, said he doesn't feel "shorted" by the university.